Brake



April 1930- M. LOUGHEAD 1,755,830

BRAKE- Filed Nov; 12 1926 [WWW jlfafco/mlaym? Patented Apr. 22, 1930 uNiTED STATES. PATENT, OFFECE MALCOLM LOUGHEAD, E DETROIT, MICHIGAN, AssIeNoE To HYDRAULIC BEALKE GOMLPANY, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A conroR TIou OF CALIFORNIA BRAKE Application filed November My invention relates to brakes and more particularly to automobile brakes although,

as will be seen, it is not necessarily restricted to that use. The primary object of my invention isto provide an automatic take-up mech ,anism for the brake-shoe (or brake-band) which compensates for the wear of the brake lining or other element subject. to wean-but still preserves a constant slack for the brakeshoe. I 3

.Another object of my invention is to provide a take-up mechanism which will permit recession as well as progression of the brake applying member, so that the take-up mechanisin does not unduly complicate the process of relining and renewing the brake-shoes.

Another object is to compensate for the progression of the brake-shoe applying member so as to utilize at all times the full move ment of the brake pedal or other actuator. I accomplish the latter result by an extensible connection between the brake applying membrakes. Although a non-recessional take-up .50

ber and the actuator, which connection, in the preferred form of my invention, takes the form of a liquid column which is extensible by means of a replenishing device for the liquid column.

The chief advantage of a take-up mechanism for the brakes is that it preserves the full eifect of the possiblemovement of the brake pedal or other actuator, which, if excessive slack were allowed to develop, would be consumed in'taking' up the excessive slack.

- In otherwords, if there is no excessive slack,- the full movement of the brake pedal may be utilized'to increase the leverage, that is, in-,

crease the ratio between the pressure on the brake shoe and the foot pressure on the pedal.

In the preferred form of my inventio I employ a take-up,mechanismwhichembo ies stop means between the shoe or the brake applying member and a stationary pointas' distinguished from merely lengthening (or contracting, as the case may be) the brake applying member. One of the cooperating stops is mounted so that 1t can progress on its support under a forceful application of the device such as a ratchet is suitable for this 12, 1926. Serial No. 1e7, 8 58.

purpose, it has the disadvantage of step-by step advance which is obviated by the frictional advance of my construction.

' A feature of the present invention is mounting the stop to have progressional engagement with a stationary member and a lost motion connection with; the brake applying member. thisfcature the stop element takes the form of a friction ring slidable under a predetermined force aloiigthe cylinder bore of a fluid actuated cylinder and piston for applying the brakes. I

An important characteristic of the struc- In my preferred embodiment of I fluid system of a hydraulic braking apparatus for automobiles embodying my invention Fig. 2 1s a transverse vertical section embodying a braking system such as illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 1, Fig? 2 being considered as taken on the line 22 of Fig. 3 and looking rearwardly Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken along the plane of the wheel of Fig. 2 and looking inwardly;

wheel brake cylinder taken on a line 4-4 of fF' 3 to show the fri ctioh ring; and

ig. 5 is a diagrammatic isolated section of the piston showing the details of its construction.

hydraulically actuated wheel brakes 10 on eachof the road wheels of an automobile are inter-connected by high pressure hose and tubing 11 with a-master cylinderor compresthrough the left front wheel of an automobile Fig.4 is a transverse section through the' Referring first to the diagram of Fig. 1, the

sor 12, the piston 13 of which is actuated by Y the usual brake pedal 14 through suitable 'linkage lfi. As Will be laterdescribed, the

piston is returned ositively by a spring 16,

so that the cup pacing 17 of the piston uncovers a port 18 in the cylinder wall leading to a'vented' liquid reservoir 19 .in which the cylinder is immersed. Liquid will flow in or through this port, as the case may be, until the liquid system is restored to its required volume. The cup packing 17 also acts as a check valve to permit slippage of liquid from the reservoir 19 into the cylinder during the retraction of the piston and in advance of the uncovering of the port 18, in the event that a suction starts to develop in the cylinder.

Referring next to Figs. 2 and 3 which show the structure of typical wheel brakes 10 of Fig. 1, each wheel 20 carries a brake drum 21,

while tl1 e*steeri'ng spindle '22 (or irrthe case plate 23 which also acts as a dust plate to close the open side of the drum 21. The plate 23 is preferably extended beyond the edge of'--the drum andflanged thereover as at 23 andthe drum itself is also prefer 1y provided with a stiffening flange 21' so that the two flanges together form an efl'ective dust seal for the brakes.

A'brake cylinder 24 is mounted on the outer side of the plate 23, that is, on-the outer side as vregards the center. line of the automobile, but within the enclosure formed by the drum and plate 23', and is secured to the plate by suitable bolts or cap screws 25. The cylinder 24 itself is made open at both ends and recipadjustment'of the fixed ends rocally supports a pair of opposed pistons 26, which have ball sockets 7 p in which are borne the inner ends of-pi' on links 27. Y

The outer ends of the piston links 27 are engaged in similar sockets in abutment members, 28 the free ends ofarcuate internalbrake-shoes 28,-which are pivotally mounted The pins 29 are eccentric to provide a slight the brakeshoes a regards the distance of t ieir linings from t e drum when the shoes are initially installed.

The brake-shoes 28 are of channel cross-' section, the linings 30 being secured along their web portions. The free ends of the opspring 32. I

Liquid under pressure from the fluid system of my braking apparatus is, as I previously described, led to the several wheel brakes byhigh pressure tubing 11, 'being.

each brake cylinder 24, as shown in F 1g. 2.

The liquid enters the cylinder at its midpoint between the opposed pistons 26.

1 The faces of the pistons 26 each carry cup washers 35 preferably of rubber and held against the piston faces only by the fluid pressure. a The face of eachpiston 26 preferably has a central forward projection, and its associated cup washer is similarly conformed to bring its central portion forwardly of the plane of the annular chisel edge. The forwardly extending portions of the opposed cup washers thus act asstops-for the pistons to prevent telescoping of their sealing edges and to space the sealing edges far enough apart to permit the inflow of liquid from the hose 11. a

A short distance outwardly from its face each piston 26 is provided with an annular groove 36, which may conveniently be formed between a shoulder at one end left by radially reducing the piston, and-a washer 37 slipped over a second shoulder at the outer end of the giving it a tendency to expand, which holds it'in rather firm frictional contact with the cylinder bore. ment of the brake structure here shown, I prefer that this friction'besuch that,it takes a force ofsome 85 pounds to force the friction ring along the bore of the cylinder. Until a force of 85 pounds is exerted on the ring, it

, will obviously act as a stationary stop working in the piston groove 36 limiting reciprocation of the pistonto 01 of an inch or so -"the difference between the width of the groove amlthe width of the ring. This space to which the reciprocation of the piston is limited represents the slack allowed the brake mechanism in. overcoming the inherent flexi-,

bility or compressibility of the brake shoe, its

lining, the brake drum, etc., and the distance by which the lining clears the drum. Let us \suppose, for example, that the friction ring 38 is so positioned in the bore of the cylinder that when the brakes-are fully applied with In the commercial embodi- I maximum foot pedal pressure, the -corresponding piston is moved outwardly so that one shoulder of its groove 36 just contacts the friction ring 38. Then, if the brake lining should thereafter wear a trifle thinner, say for example, .005 inches and the brakes were? thereafter applied with maximum foot peda pressure, when the piston moved outwardly until it engaged the friction ring 38, the outer iso - of the two pistons will be carried permanently to build up outward pressure on thepiston the pressure would soon exceed the additional force necessary to slide the friction'ring along the cylinder bore. 'When the foot pedal builds up sufficient pressure in the system, the fflC- .tion ring will be slid along the cylinder bore until the brakes are fully applied. This in the instance assumed above would mean an outward progression. of'.005 inches for the friction ring. Vb-en the foot pedal is again released, the piston, and hencethe shoe, will not come back to its former position, but inoutwardly until the lining is worn so far that it has to be renewed. It will be understood, of

course, that, after the initial setting of the brakes, as soon as the linings of the two shoes start to wear, the centrally dished cup washers away from contact with one another. Their stop feature, therefore, is restricted to initialsetting of the brakes. It is also to be pointed out that .the two pistons may be progressed outwardly at different rates dependin g upon the wear of the linings of their r spective shoes, so that each shoe has its automatic takeup; adjustment entirely independent of the ot ier. 7

Let us assume, as previously suggested, that the friction ring. will slide under a force of 85 pounds. The usualcross-sectional area of the cylinder is. 1.21 square inches making the corresponding fluid pressure about pounds. Thus, whenever a piston is moved into contact with it i friction ring, 70 pounds of the fluid i in the system goes to overcome the friction of the ring. The retractile springs are strong enough to create a back pressure "of 24 or 25 pounds in the fluid system, and the .lfI'lCr tion and incidental lost motion of flexibility of parts ordinarily takes three or four more pounds of fluid pressure, sothat a pressure of some 28 pounds must be" develo ed in the fluid system before the brakes reac 'apoint of minimum substantial braking effect.

' In theory, in the operation of my improved braking apparatusfa given'bi'ake shoe has practically no braking effect until the foot pedal builds up a pressure of about 28 pounds.

Then the braking effect of the particular shoe increases more or less in proportion to the amount of pressure exerted, over the initial requirement of 28 pounds, until the corre sponding piston engages its friction ring 38. Then the force required to slide the ring 38 will absorb the next 70 pounds increase we developed In actual practice, however, my automatic take-up device does not ,present any suchobjection. In commercial installatio s a fluid pressure of about 500 pounds wil lock the wheels, even on a dry pavement with balloon tires. This pressure is habitually developed when,.in an emergency, the driver will jam on the brakes as hard as he can. In ordinary practice the advancing of the several friction rings 38 will be done at such times, which would be at relatively long intervals and would probably represent a thousand miles of driving. If the progressions of the friction rings 38 occur only when fluid pressures of more than 500 pounds are developedwhich will lock the wheelsthe additional 70 pounds of'fluid pressure which is absorbed in overcoming the friction of the friction rings does not detract from the braking effect, for at the timethe 70 pounds pressure is absorbed the fluid pressure is over the 500 pounds required to lock the wheels, and any additional fluid pressure would be of no avail, even though it were effective on the brake shoes.

inc

Another consideration which also obviates the danger of any lack of complete control over the braking effect by'foot pressure on the brake pedal, during those times when the 70 pounds pressure is absorbed in sliding a friction ring, is that it will rarely happen that more than one of y the eight friction rings 28 will be progressedat anyone time. Thus, even though 7 0 pounds of fluid pressure were absorbed-as regards 'a particular brake shoe-in sliding its corresponding friction ring 38, the remaining of the braking system would not be impaired If no means were employed for replenish,-

ing the fluid system, even though no losses were occasioned from the leakage, the automatic take-up mechanism above described would soon impair the effectiveness of the full possible movement of the brake pedal because, as each piston is from time to time progressed outwardly, an increasingly large 5 Nlindricalportion of the piston would be of of the cylinder.

volume of liquid must be taken from the sysprefer to employ a piston construction which .tem to compensate for the increasing outward permits the piston to find its own axial podisplacement of the piston, and the volume sition which need not be in alignment with of'the fluid system as a whole increases at that of the bore. AccordinglyIcut down the eight times this r te because there are four width of the cylindr'cal surface of ,the piswheel'brakes and two pistonsto each brake. ton to a minimum i mediately adjacent its The result would be that the driver would in face, and I conform this to a spherical rather time find the foot pedal going down to than a cylindrical'surface, the "spherical surthe floor board Without giving substantial face having the same center point as the cenbraking effect. However, with the use of an ter point of the spherical ball and socket conautomatic replenishing device, such. for exnection between the piston and its piston link ample as "that illustrated in Fig. 1, the fluid or rod 27. The force which is transmitted system remains completelyfilled with a liquid from the piston to the piston link 27 or vice at all times, and this is true whether the reversa has no effect on angularly positioning plenishing is merely to compensate for actual the piston within ,the bore of the cylinder fluid losses from the system or to compensate because of the coincident location of the'cenfor enlarging of the volume of the system. ter points for these two spherical surfaces.

The importanteffect of this, or any other re- If the faces of the friction ring 38 are not true plenishing means, in the operation of a sys-' in reference to its cylindrical surface, when tem employing an automatic take-up mechthe piston contacts the ring the piston will be anism of the general type I have shown, is turned slightly to fit flatly'against the face that the liquid column may also be extended. of the friction ring, even though this may It is not essential to the satisfactory opthrow the axis of the piston out of alignment eration of this form of take-up mechanism with the axis of the bore. I 35 that the friction ringor other stop 38 be pro That this piston construction permits the gressible only under a relatively high presminimizing of the length of the cylinder sure. All that is really necessary is that it construction, is obvious. canont be receded under the force of the The open ends of the cylinders are preferabrake shoe retractile spring 1. Nor is it esbly closed by circular rubber aprons 39 to ex.- sential that the force necessary to retract the clude dust and water from the interiop. The

friction ring 38 be much greater than that outer edges of the aprons are preferably beadnecessary to oppose the force of the retractile .ed to slip over annular grooves near the spring 31. However, it obviously gives a ends of the cylinders, while their central greater security of operation and durability openings are-in direct frictional contact with to the'apparatus to have the friction ring therespective links 27. This construction move only under a relatively large force. permits the progression of the piston links 27 The margin of safety is greatly increased and as Well as their limited reciprocation, .for variations in the temper and dimensions of after the limit of flexibility has been reached the friction ring will not impair the efiectivethey can slide relative to the piston lengths. 49 ness of the automatic take-up. When thebrake shoes are removed for re- Attention is further calledetothe advanlining, or when new brake shoe assemblies tages of the form of piston construction I are substituted, it is not necessary to take have shown. If the usual piston constructhe piston. and cylinder structure 'apartin tion were employed the bore contacting cyorder to set the pistons back at the mid point Instead, the piston links considerable length so as to maintain the 27 maybe pushed inwardly with'a force of axis of the piston in alignment with the axis pounds or more, which will be suflicient to of the bore. The friction ring 38 would slide thefriction rings back to their initial 'then have to'be behind this long cylindriposition. This resetting does not even re- 50 cal portion of, the piston. 7 It would then quire the removal of the dust apron 39.

be necessary to machine the ring or grind it WhileIhave shown this particular embodiafter 1t is Hardened, so that its piston contactment, of my invention, I contemplate that ing faces are in planes at a normal to its ex- {many changes may be made thereon without 7 ternal cylindrical surface, and also to mate departing from therscope-or spirit of my in- 55.13116 shoulders of the piston groove 36 so that ention.

they also are true with respect tothe cylindri- What I claim is: -cal surface of the piston. If these contacting 3 parts were not .trued up accurately when a actuatedbraking system comprising a cylinlongcylindrical piston surface is employed, der subject 'to' fluid pressure, a piston slidit would mean that any imperfect contact able therein, apacking for the face of the would tend, to bind' the piston, causing it to piston, and a stop member having a face for Wear prematurely and probably considerably contacting the piston and limltin its moveincreasing its friction. To avoid the necesment, the piston being conforme to permit sity of close machine work and the undue its partial universal movement within-the 5 lengthening of'the piston and cylinder, I bore of the cylinder, whereby when it is 1.- A wheel brake mechanism for a fluid urged'against the stop member .it may align itself relatively to the face thereof even though inaso doing it has to swing out of alignment with the bore of the cylinder.

2. A wheel brake mechanism for a fluid'actuated braking system c omprising a cylinder subject to fluid pressure, a piston slidable therein, a packing for the face of the piston,

a piston link havmg a partial universal connection with the piston and adapted to actuate a brake element, and a stop member having a face for contacting the piston and limiting its movement, the piston being conformed .to permit its partial universal move-' ment within the bore of the cylinder and about its connection with the piston link, whereby when it isurged against the stop member it may align itself relatively to the facethereofindependently of alignment with the bore of the cylinder. t

3. A wheel brake-mechanism fora fluid actuated braking system comprising a cylinder subject to fluid pressure, a piston slidable therein, a packing for the face of the piston, a piston link having a spherical ball and socket connection with the piston and adapted to'actuate a brake element, and a stop member having a face for contacting the piston and limiting its movement, the p'isto'n being spherically conformed to permit its partial universal mov'ement within the, bore of the cylinder and about its connection with the piston link, whereby when it is, urged against the stop member it may align itself relatively to the face thereof independently of alignment with the bore of the cylinder, the spherical center points of said ball and socket con'-' nection and of said piston being substantially coincident.

&. In a fluid braking apparatus the combination of a brake element, a cylinder, a piston reciprocable therein, a piston link for connecting it to actuate the brake element, and a cup washer for the face of the piston, the face of the piston and its packing having a forwardly projecting central portion, said piston link extending into the interior of said piston from the opposite side thereof and projecting into the said forwardly projecting portion of the piston face.

5. The combination with a fluid braking system of 'a cylinder, a iston reciprocable therein for actuating a bra e element, a piston link connecting the piston with said element and having aball and socket connection with.

1 the piston, and a cup washer for the face of the piston, the face of the piston and its cup washer being centrally forwardly pro ected, and the center point of the said ball and socket connection being substantially in the plane .of the face of the piston.

6. In a fluid actuated braking apparatus the combination with a brake element, a cylinder, a piston reciprocable therein for actuating the brake element, of an automatic takeup mechanism for the piston comprising a' mechanism for the piston comprising a friction ring disposed in the bore of the cylinder slidable there along under heavy pressure, and a lost motion connection between the piston and the ring. a

8. The combination with the fluid pressure actuated brake cylinders of a fluid braking system comprising a cylinder and a brake applying piston reciprocable therein, of an automatic take-up device for the piston com prlsing a member having frictlonal engagement with the cylinder and a lost motion connection with the piston.

9C In a hydraulic braking.;-apparati1s for automobiles, a hydraulically actuated wheel brake device comprising a non-rotatably supported cylinder having open ends, opposed I plstons reciprocably mounted therein, con

nections for communicating between the fluid system and the cylinder intermediate the pistons, cup washers engaging the faces of the opposed pistons, the piston faces and their cup washers being icentrally projected to.

bring the central faces of-the opposed cup washers into abutment before their edges meet, said pistons having annular grooves formed therein rearwardly of their faces, split friction rings disposed in the respective grooves and frietionally engaging the bore of the cylinder, the grooves having lost motionconnections with the friction rings, brake engaging elements, piston links connecting the brake engaging elements with the pistons for actuation thereby, and positive retractile means for the brake engaging elements which exert a retractile force on the pistons less than that required to slide the friction rings along the bore of the. cylinder, the pistons having narrow bore engaging portions spherically conformed to permit rocking of the pistons relatively to the bore to permit them to seat themselves-against their respective friction rings, and the piston links having ball'and socket engagements. with the piston, which connections extend into said central projections of the piston faces and the spherical centers of. which are substantially co-incident with those of the said bore-engaging portions.

10. In a hydraulic braking apparatus for automobiles, a hydraulically actuated wheel brake device comprising a non-rotatably supported cylinder having open ends, opposed pistons reciprocably mounted therein, connections for communicating between the fluid "system andflthe cylinder intermediate the v meet, said pistons having annular grooves formed therein rearwardly of their faces, vsplit friction rings'disposed in the respective grooves and frictionally engaging the bore of the' cyli'nder, the grooves having lost motion connections with the friction rings, brake engaging elements, piston links connecting the brake engaging elements with the pistons for actuation thereby, and positive retractile means for the brake engaging elements which. exert a retractile force on the pistons less than that required to slide the friction rings along the bore of the cylinder, the pistons having narrow bore "engaging portions spherically; conformed to permitrockingof the pistons relatively to the bore to permit them to seat themselves against their respective friction rings, a

11. In a hydraulic braking apparatus for automobiles, a hydraulically actuated wheel brake device comprising a nonrotatabl'y supported cylinder having open ends, opposed pistons reciprocably mounted therein, connections for communicating between the fluid system and the-cylinder intermediate the pistons, cup washers engaging the faces of the opposed pistons, said pistons having annular grooves formed therein rearwardly, of

their faces, split friction rings disposed in the respective grooves and frictionally en-" gaging the bore of the cylinder, the grooves having lost motion connections with the friction r ngs, brake engaging elements, piston links connecting the brake engaging. elements with the pistons for actuation thereby, and positive retractile means for the brake engaging elements which exert a retrac le force on the pistons less than that require to slide the friction rings along the bore of the cylder, the pistons having narrow bore engaging portions. spherically conformed to permit rocking'of the pistons relatively to the bore to permit them to seat themselves against their respective friction rings.

12. In a hydraulic braking apparatus 0r automobiles, a hydraulically actuated w eel brake device comprising a non-rotatably supported cylinder h ving open ends, opposed pistons reciprocab y mounted therein connections for communicating between th' fluid system and the cylinder intermediate the pistons, said pistons having annular grooves formed therein gearwardly of their faces,

split frictionrings disposed in the respective grooves and frictionally engaging the bdre of the cylinder, the grooves having lost me ti'on connections with the friction rings, brake engaging-elements, mechanism connecting the brake engaging elements with the pistons for also actuation thereby, and positive a retractile means for the brake engaging elements which exert a retractile force on the pistons less than that required to slide the friction rings along thebore of the cylinder, the pistons having narrow bore engaging portions spherically conformed to permit rocking of the pistons relatively to the bore to permit them to seat system and the cylinder intermediate the pistons, said pistons having annular grooves formed therein rearwardly of their faces,

split friction rings disposed in the respective grooves and frictionally engaging the bore of the cylinder, the grooves having lost motion connections with the friction rings, brake engaging elements, mechanismco'nnecting the brake engaging elements with the pistons for actuation thereby, and positive retractile means for the brake engaging elements which exert a, retractile force on the pistons less than that required to slide the friction rings along the bore of the cylinder.

l4. In a fluid actuated braking apparatus, a fluid motor comprising a cylinder communicatin with the fluid system, a pistonre ciproca le therein, a cup washer for the face of the piston, and an automatic take-up mech; anism for the piston comprising a friction ring frictionally engaging the bore of the cylinder, and a peripheral groove in the piston embodying opposed shoulders between" which the friction ring is disposed, the groove being formed by a reduced shoulder spaced backwardly from theface of the piston, and

a second reduced shoulder on the piston over face forming a rearward cylindrical portion of reduced diameter, and a ring of greater diameter than the reduced portion secured to the rearward end of the piston, the ring forming a shoulder opposed to said firstmentioned shoulder with an annular groove therebetween, said piston having a central depresv 'cion extending into the interior of the piston beyond the plane of the face fromthe rearward end thereof for the reception ofa piston link.

16." As an article of manufacture, a piston for the fluidmdtor ofa fluid brakingsystem comprlsing a circular face, aj shoulderi' a spaced distance back form the face forming a rearward cylindrical portion of reduced diameter a ring of greater diameter than the reduced portion secured to the rearward end g of the piston, the ring formin a shoulder opposed to said first mentioned shoulder with an annular groove therebetween, and a split friction ring having a normal diameter greater than. that of the piston loosely disposed within said groove. 7

17 In ahydraulic brakin system including a brake drum, a brake s 0e and a brake shoe lining, the combination of a motor cylinder, a piston structure movable in said cylinder to apply the brake shoe lining against the drum, and a sleek take-up mechanism com rising a friction device operating between said cylinder and said piston struc-' v ture, said device being movable in either di- 20 rection through the application of abnormal force, the piston structure having a limited amount of free movement with res ect to the friction device, the degree of said ee movement determining the distance which the brake shoe lining may be retracted. In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 19th day of July, 1926. MALCOLM LOUGHEAD. 

